Allen & Overy appoints leader from HSF

Allen & Overy appoints leader from HSF

'In second quarter of 2022,' Advanced Delivery Centre is set to open

As part of its low-cost legal services program in Australia, Allen & Overy (A&O) has brought on Derek Chia from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF).

In the second quarter of 2022, the firm expects to open its second Advanced Delivery Centre, where Chia will join. Ten years after the firm's first location opened in Belfast under Angela Clist's leadership, the firm announced plans to open a centre in Perth in November 2021.

Chia will be one of the firm's leading legal support professionals and associates, as well as a team of dedicated eDiscovery specialists who will provide A&O legal teams around the world with low-cost tech-enabled support.

With around 20 legal professionals expected to join the hub in its first year of operation, the technical support centre will provide services in areas like due diligence, document review and electronic discovery, along with regulatory filings and general deal management.

As it expands to Perth, the firm says that it aimed to boost its Belfast operations by providing global legal teams with more options of integrating legal support. A team of 650 employees is currently based in the Belfast office, which consists of 130 legal professionals.

Clist said: "Having someone of Derek's calibre leading our new centre is awesome." Bringing a wealth of experience to the position, Derek would help coordinate the work in the new Advanced Delivery Centre with the global network of offices."

As legal manager in Perth for five years, Chia spent six years at HSF. His previous employment was at Perth-based Chan Galic Barristers & Solicitors, where he worked for four years.

With regard to high-volume and document-intensive work, both of which spiked dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic, he will administer the new centre, which he says will provide 'follow-the-sun, integrated support to A&O colleagues worldwide'.

A&O arrived in Australia in 2010 and has offices in Sydney and Perth, where partner headcounts currently stand at 17 and six, respectively.

As part of Amie Davidson's business development role, Peer Point recently expanded to the US, bringing in Chia to head that unit.

As part of its Fuse tech incubator programme, the firm also announced 11 fresh law tech and fintech start-ups in May 2021.